


Outside

by MonsterBrush



Category: INSIDE (Video Game)
Genre: Assimilation, Dystopia, Experimentation, Gen, Mind Control
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:07:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27730519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonsterBrush/pseuds/MonsterBrush
Summary: A continuation of where the game left off. What happens to the Huddle next, and can it replicate its first escape attempt, this time for real?
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	Outside

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this ages ago just because, and figured I might as well post it. Hope you folks like whatever the heck this is. Feel free to let me know if it is worth pursuing further. Feedback fuels the creative machine.

Everything hurt. 

Bruises, cuts, scrapes… Broken limbs and pieces of themselves left strewn along the steep slope that they had tumbled from. Dirt and detritus dug into their wounds, and the ground beneath them was cold and hard. But then the sun settled over their skin and everything was okay. It was warm, gentle, and soft. It was comfortable. They were happy. They were free. 

It was so peaceful. A sense of calm like they’d never known before washed over them. The pain didn’t bother them anymore. Not in the wake of this calm. It was so quiet here. No constant buzz of electricity, or the hum of machinery. No watchful eyes. 

And it was over far too quickly. 

In the distance, the sound of rumbles ruined the blessed silence they had been enjoying moments ago. They knew this sound, one of the minds supplied. Engines. The guards were coming for them. 

Their body was heavy, their limbs were broken, they couldn’t muster the strength to move. It hurt. They just wanted to lay there, basking in the light of the sun, listening to the gentle lapping of water along the shore. That was all they wanted. Why couldn’t they have what they wanted? It wasn’t fair. They just wanted to rest…

There was a far off  _ pop _ , and a fresh pinprick of pain was added to the rest of their aches and agonies. It made them twitch, and set off a halfhearted chorus of moans across their mass, but nothing more. They couldn’t move even if they wanted to. The engines pulled close, and their reprieve was over. Guards surrounded them. Dogs were barking. It was too loud. They were too tired. Their vision was fading one by one, and they couldn’t bring themselves to care. 

A steel mesh was thrown across their heaving body and pulled tight. A ramp was lowered, the mesh pulled tighter, and they were dragged slowly into the back of a truck. Their vision went dark at the same time that the back of the truck was shut. The sun was gone, and so were they.

* * *

The experiment went well and the Huddle was retrieved without incident. Casualties were minor, damage was repairable, and a replacement CEO was already en route. All in all, the experiment went  _ very _ well. The boy had succeeded in infiltrating the facility. The Huddle’s intelligence was proven. It would be transported to another facility to resume testing, along with any remaining personnel left over from its rampage. 

David was there when the Huddle escaped. He dutifully recorded what he saw. He timed the Huddle’s progress as it completed each puzzle. He followed it with his surviving coworkers, through the back rooms and maintenance tunnels, and he hopped aboard the trucks that were sent to recover it. He watched as it was tranquilized, netted, and restrained. And when it came time for it, he was the one who stepped forward to check its vitals and deem it worth being repaired for continued experimentation. It had lost mass, and many of the Albinos that made up its body would need to be replaced, but it was still alive. Simply exhausted. The official report took note of its stamina, and an order for a fresh batch of Albinos was made. 

David was immediately transferred to the new facility ahead of the Huddle to resume research. All records of his findings were saved for his eventual replacement, should his shelf life expire prematurely during his research of the Huddle. It was a smaller facility than the previous one, but the higher ups had anticipated its necessity and had it built alongside the original. The fresh Albinos were already waiting for them when they arrived. 

Tests were performed immediately to ensure the Albinos’ quality. Of the batch of ten, only two were removed from the line up. A good ratio. Shortly afterwards, the Huddle arrived. 

Significantly damaged parts would need to be removed before the new mass could be added. No anesthesia was administered during the procedure and it was confirmed that pain could be felt throughout the entire mass during the removal of the damaged parts, indicating a successful assimilation of all nervous tissue. No sign of the boy was found within the Huddle and it was concluded that his assimilation had gone successfully as well. 

The Huddle’s weight was taken at the end of the procedure before it was finally suspended in a brand new, though significantly simpler, tank to recover. A medically induced coma was administered for the duration of the recovery, and its vitals were recorded at all times until it was considered safe to begin the process of assimilating the new Albinos to its mass. It was removed from the tank for this process. 

David was among the group of workers assigned to document the affair, as such a thing had yet to be so closely monitored. The assimilation was deemed unsuccessful while unconscious and the medical coma was reversed. Shortly after regaining consciousness, the assimilation began, and the Huddle successfully acquired eight new Albinos to its mass.

The official report described their findings as “promising” and the Huddle was returned to its tank fully conscious and unrestrained. It was monitored at all times, escape attempts were thwarted swiftly with a nonlethal electrical pulse sent into the water, and its behavior was under constant observation. David was given an office space within view of the Huddle’s tank, along with several of his coworkers, those who survived the first experiment. 

It had been three months since then, and tests on the Huddle were finally being resumed. The Huddle was sedated and divers entered the tank to affix the control plugs to its body, and a muscle relaxant was administered to restrict its movements. Shortly afterwards, its ability to influence unaffiliated Albinos was tested. Again the results were labeled “promising”, as it was shown to be able to complete various puzzles via the provided Albinos, and control multiple individuals without visible difficulty. David and his coworkers were promised more comfortable housing near the new facility to reward their continued success. 

David was busy recording the behavior of the controlled Albino during his coworkers’ lunch breaks. One of them was to remain in the office at all times during “daylight hours” at the cost of a slightly later lunch, and David had volunteered himself for the task today. He was working towards a promotion, or perhaps even a vacation to the surface. It had been a while since he’d been able to enjoy a vacation away from the facility. Weekend reprieves in their provided housing and occasional visits to the recreation center only did so much, and in this new facility the recreation center was still under construction. As such, his schedule was booked with overtimes. 

The Albino before him had been acting erratic since eight AM, pacing throughout its confinement and occasionally colliding weakly against the reinforced glass, whereas it would usually remain still, crouched where the Huddle left it. The Huddle was choosing to keep the Albino active. Perhaps it was understimulated? David recorded this theory alongside his observations and checked his watch. Still plenty of time left before his coworkers would return from their lunch break and he could leave to take his. 

He should check the tank, he thought. 

He turned his back on the Albino and crossed the room to stand in front of the thick glass separating the Huddle from the rest of the world. It pulsed and twitched occasionally, unable to do much else, medicated as it was. Its vitals were stable, and David could not find any evidence of structural damage from where he stood, looking in. Everything was accounted for. Still, he stood there for a moment longer, watching it suspended in the water, the constant glow of the control plugs, the faint buzz of machinery… 

The Huddle was massive. David felt he never truly appreciated this until just now, looking at it during this lull in his work. Four meters across, four meters tall, its considerable weight was distributed evenly so that its body appeared as a sphere when it floated weightless, suspended in the water. Its pulsing flesh quivered and moved, limbs emerging from its pliable surface and sinking back within it periodically. It was pinker than the Albino flesh that had been used to restore it after the first escape experiment. Perhaps as a result of the boy that was added to its composition. It could very well be that the addition of a non-Albino body has changed its construction, like it had for its intelligence. Tests for its physical condition had not been run since the procedure to restore the Huddle to full health, but perhaps it would be beneficial to look into the matter. David would have to make a note of this for future study, he mused. 

A door opened and David jumped. It was his coworkers were returning from lunch, filing into the office and finding their respective desks, checking the data, resuming their important work. 

“Any changes?” someone asked.

“No, none,” he replied automatically, stepping away from the tank at last to return to his desk. He logged his work onto the computer and checked his watch again. Time had passed quicker than he expected, lunch had ended, it was his turn for his break. He left for the recently completed cafeteria and put thoughts of work out of his mind for the time being. 

By the time he returned to the office, the Albino was still pacing. They had another puzzle scheduled this afternoon that was due to start soon, perhaps the Huddle had caught on to their scheduling and was anticipating this? David dutifully added this consideration to his earlier theory as preparations for the puzzle began. 

It was a simple task for the Huddle. Control the Albino, use it to arrange a series of boxes in a specific pattern in order to open the door and release the Albino. It did not take the Huddle long to figure out. Another success, another “promising” review for the Huddle, another job well done for David and his coworkers. 

A Sleepwalker entered to perform janitorial duties as they packed up for the night. David was only aware of the time via his watch. It was always dark and gloomy in these underground facilities, but the housing was considerably nicer in this one. In the previous facility, The Pulse could be felt from David’s room, often keeping him awake. His new housing situation was significantly quieter. Too quiet, almost, but David could get used to it. The buzz of the lights overhead were noisy enough for him. 

The walk from the office to the housing was not insignificant, but a tram was provided for transport. It took the facility’s personnel through excavated tunnels and unfinished construction sites before reaching the new housing structure. Construction on the building had only just been completed, and David was given the keycard to his assigned room as he exited the tram. His belongings from the previous facility had already been moved into his new room, he was told. 

David’s new housing was plain, relatively unfurnished, but the modest kitchen was fully stocked and no different from the one he remembered from his previous housing situation. The bathroom had David’s preferred hygiene supplies already put away in his preferred manner. There was a UV light over the bed, a necessity when living in these caverns for such extended periods of time, the closet was full of his work clothes, and there was a desk with a computer in the corner for David to continue his important business from home. It was typical of him and his coworkers to bring their work back to the housing complex with them, and it was encouraged by the higher ups. He was tired tonight though, so he forewent working at the desk in favor of some reheated dinner and a more full night’s sleep. He would stay late tomorrow to make up for this, he assured himself. He wanted that vacation. 

An alarm was already set to wake David up the next morning, with plenty of time to spare for him to get dressed and prepare a cup of coffee. He packed a briefcase and locked the room behind him before he joined his coworkers to wait for the tram. 

Not much had happened during the night. The Albino had settled into its usual neutral resting position by the time everyone had left for the night, the security team had nothing unusual to report, and the night shift saw nothing out of the ordinary in the Huddle’s behavior. It was business as usual. 

As he promised himself, David resolved to stay late that night to make up for the unproductive evening before. His coworkers understood. It wouldn’t be the first time one of them has stayed late to maintain their work ethic. He couldn’t say he looked forward to it, but he would do it nonetheless. That’s just how it was. So, when his coworkers began to pack up for the night, David remained. The Albino being used for testing was locked away, unnecessary lights were shut off, paperwork was put away, and David was left alone to catch up on his work. 

The test Albino was getting worn from the frequent tests and puzzles it had been put through. David examined it through the glass of its test chamber. Its pale waxy flesh looked dry and flaking. It was covered in bloodless cuts and abrasions, and healing far too slowly. An order for a fresh one would need to be made and David set to work on this right away. As he worked, the sleepwalker returned again to begin its nightly janitorial work, as always. David paid it no mind. A message was sent to his coworkers alerting them of the new Albino order that David had just made, and he moved along to his next task. Monitoring vitals, inspecting behavior, cross referencing the data recorded from that day… He should check on the tank itself too, he thought, rising abruptly from his desk. They wouldn’t want an unexpected escape incident so soon after the last one. The old facility’s repairs hadn’t even been completed yet. 

Nothing was amiss with the glass of the viewing windows, not a single scratch. He walked a lap around the massive cylindrical tank and inspected every side. The recording equipment for the Huddle’s vitals and brain activity were in working order. The emergency electric pulse for subduing the Huddle was still operational as well. Nothing was amiss that David could discern from the ground. He should check the top, he thought…

He climbed the staircase built into the side of the tank and inspected the catwalk that spanned across the sealed top next, as well as the device that controlled the opening mechanism for the top of the tank. It opened and shut like the shutter of a camera with a loud mechanical whirl, smooth as silk. The surface of the water within shivered with the movement of the shutter being opened, but there was no movement underneath…

Wait…

What was he doing? 

He was standing in the middle of the catwalk, looking down into the water at the glow of the control helmets attached to the Huddle. To do what, exactly? This wasn’t his job. He wasn’t authorized to open the tank without valid reasons. 

Suddenly and without warning something collided with his back. 

His waist hit the handrail and he pitched forward, his feet leaving the steel grated platform of the catwalk as he tipped over and plummeted head first into the water. He gasped as he hit the water, his glasses coming loose on impact, but that sensation was far from his mind as his flailing arms brushed thick rubber cords and hard metal. The control plugs. He could see the yellow glow through his squinted eyes as he tried desperately to claw his way back to the surface, righting himself to swim upwards.

A hand closed around his ankle. 

He hadn’t even made it to the surface before his attempt to escape was thwarted. With a swift yank he was dragged deeper. He kicked out against the grip on his ankle, stomping at the hand that held him back, to no avail. More hands joined the first, grabbing at his legs, clutching handfuls of his trousers, catching on his belt. He couldn’t breathe. Already his lungs were starting to burn. He was going to drown. He was going to die. 

The Huddle was bringing him deeper, pulling him close. Countless arms embraced him. His fingers slipped against rubbery flesh, unable to get purchase on the slick, clammy surface. He felt it push against his cheek, heaving and writhing until it was all around him, groping limbs and pulsing flesh overwhelming him. He felt the skin pressing against his face give inwards, and his entire head was engulfed by the Huddle. 

The pressure was indescribable. His head felt like it was going to crack, like the entire weight of the Huddle was pressing in around his skull from all sides. He tried his hardest to push away with his hands to free his head from its clutches, but no matter how hard he kicked and thrashed and shoved, his head didn’t budge, and the need to breathe grew more and more urgent with each passing second. Then suddenly the pressure simply… stopped. Sensation still lingered, he could feel his body floating freely in the water, his office clothes clinging to him, the Huddle’s many arms restraining him. Its grip hurt, but he could not move. Even though he wanted to, his body would not respond to his commands. He couldn’t so much as twitch. David had never been more terrified in his life, not even during the Huddle’s first escape, and yet, somehow, there was an odd feeling of calm as well. 

He couldn’t breathe, but it no longer bothered him. He felt calm. The water inside the tank was just the right temperature to feel like nothing at all, and before he knew it he was floating freely again. 

His eyes opened to the Huddle’s massive form calm and twitching in sleep. He was standing in front of the tank, his glasses in place, his clothes dry. Behind him, the Sleepwalker was mopping leisurely and the Albino was inactive in its pen. He checked the time on his watch. One AM. 

He went back to his desk and checked his work. He hadn’t gotten much done. Not as much as he’d wanted to do, and it was too late to keep working. He needed sleep.

David sent a request for tram pick-up as he packed his briefcase and shut down his computer for the night. The Sleepwalker barely acknowledged his exit, concentrating all of its efforts on its given task of cleaning the office. The doors locked automatically behind him as he left, and the tram pulled into the station not long after he arrived. The benefit of working late was the nice empty tram he had all to himself on the ride back to the living quarters. He almost fell asleep right there on the seats by the time he reached the housing facility.

He unlocked the door to his apartment with his keycard and dropped his briefcase on the floor by his desk, feeling more exhausted than he had the night after the Huddle’s escape experiment.

David dropped down onto his bed and kicked off his shoes, barely remembering to take off his glasses before he fell backwards onto the pillow. He didn’t even bother to change out of his office attire.

He’d been working too hard. He needed to sleep… 


End file.
